Recording Device Thermal Management for Winding Precision

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing recording devices experience imperfect winding due to sudden temperature changes in the medium after recording, leading to wrinkling or misalignment during the winding process, as the medium expands or contracts unevenly with heating.

Innovation Solution

A recording device with a conveying portion, recording unit, guiding portion, winding portion, and heating portions that heat the medium between the recording and winding stages, with controlled heating to maintain a stable temperature, and a non-contact heating portion for the winding portion to prevent temperature fluctuations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the medium is heated after recording to prevent ink damage, then the ink drying is improved, but the medium experiences sudden temperature changes causing expansion or contraction that leads to imperfect winding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink drying qualityVSAvoidwinding precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by heating the medium before the winding operation. A heating unit is positioned to heat the medium in advance of the winding section, ensuring the medium is properly dried and stabilized before it reaches the winding mechanism, thus preventing both ink damage and winding defects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary heating unit between the recording section and the winding section. This heating unit acts as a mediator that gradually heats the medium, preventing sudden temperature changes that would cause expansion or contraction, thereby maintaining winding precision while ensuring proper ink drying

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the medium temperature is suddenly changed during heating, then the ink drying speed is improved, but the medium expands or contracts unevenly causing wrinkling or cockling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying speedVSAvoidmedium flatness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action by using a heating unit that operates in a controlled, gradual manner rather than sudden intense heating. The heating is applied continuously but at a controlled rate, preventing thermal shock to the medium while maintaining efficient drying speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the heating parameters by positioning the heating unit to provide gradual, distributed heating across the medium surface. This controlled parameter change prevents sudden thermal expansion or contraction while maintaining effective drying speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the medium is heated immediately before winding, then the ink curing is improved, but the temperature change causes misaligned winding or wrinkling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink curing qualityVSAvoidwinding alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by positioning the heating unit upstream of the winding section, heating the medium in advance rather than immediately before winding. This preliminary heating allows the medium to stabilize before entering the winding mechanism, ensuring both proper ink curing and accurate winding alignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating unit serves as an intermediary element between the recording and winding sections. It provides controlled heating that ensures ink curing while preventing sudden temperature changes that would cause misalignment, thus mediating between the two processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Prevents sudden temperature changes and subsequent imperfect winding by maintaining a stable medium temperature during the winding process, ensuring proper alignment and reducing wrinkles.

Implementation Method 1

a heating portion configured to heat the medium disposed between the recording portion and the winding portion in the conveying direction, heat the guiding portion, and heat the winding portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

Heating may cause expansion or contraction depending on the type of medium used. In addition, in the case where droplets are discharged to form an image on the medium, the degree of expansion or contraction of the medium may be uneven depending, for example, on the degree of volatility of volatile compounds of the droplets in association with heating of the medium

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS10737515B2Recording device

Publication Date: 2020.08.11 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

Provided is a recording device including a conveying portion configured to convey a medium in a conveying direction, a recording unit configured to record on the medium conveyed in the conveying direction, a guiding portion disposed further downstream in the conveying direction than the recording portion and configured to change the conveying direction while guiding conveyance of the medium, a winding portion disposed further downstream in the conveying direction than the guiding portion and configured to wind the medium, and a heating portion configured to heat the medium disposed between the recording portion and the winding portion in the conveying direction, heat the guiding portion, and heat the winding portion.